Umbrella with Wind-Compliant Canopy Attachment

ABSTRACT

An umbrella employs an apparatus and method for movably attaching a canopy to an underlying support frame. In the event of strong winds, the canopy can lift up off its support frame to let the air pass underneath, rather than turning the canopy into a large sail and toppling the umbrella over. After the wind passes, the canopy is drawn back down onto the ribs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/478,290, filed Apr. 22, 2011.

TECHNICAL FIELD

An umbrella is disclosed that employs an apparatus and method for attaching a canopy to an underlying support frame. In the event of strong winds, the attachment device permits the canopy to lift up off its support frame to let the air pass underneath.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Patio umbrellas are large umbrellas intended primarily for outdoor use to provide shade. The umbrella has an upstanding support pole, also known as a mast, with a lower end that rests on a support surface. At the upper end of the mast is a collapsible canopy support frame that comprises radially extending ribs and support members for holding the ribs at a desired angle.

The canopy support frame supports a canopy on the upper surfaces of its ribs. Conventional canopies typically have a pocket or other fastening means that affixes the periphery of the canopy to the ends of the ribs.

A problem with conventional patio umbrellas is that when the wind is blowing, air gets underneath the canopy, which then acts as a large sail. Strong breezes can topple the umbrella and, if used in conjunction with a patio table, topple the table as well. If the mast is securely mounted such that it can't be toppled, the strong breeze underneath the canopy can bend the canopy support frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An umbrella is disclosed that employs an apparatus and method for movably attaching a canopy to an underlying support frame. In the event of strong winds, the canopy can lift up off its support frame to let the air pass underneath, rather than turning the canopy into a large sail and toppling the umbrella over. After the wind passes, the canopy settles back down onto the ribs.

Stated more specifically, an umbrella is disclosed that comprises an upstanding support member and a plurality of ribs, each of the ribs having an upper surface, a first end pivotably mounted at the upper end of the support member, and a second free outer end. Each of the ribs extends radially outward from the support member. A canopy is supported by the upper surfaces of the ribs.

The disclosed umbrella further includes a plurality of flexible strips, each of the plurality of strips having a first end affixed to the upper surface of a rib and a second free end located proximate to the outer end of the rib. Each flexible strip normally extends along the upper surface of a corresponding one of the ribs.

The disclosed embodiment further includes a means for attaching the second end of the flexible strip to the lower surface of the canopy at a location proximate to the periphery of the canopy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a PRIOR ART market umbrella.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a PRIOR ART market umbrella mounted to a table.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a PRIOR ART offset umbrella in which the support frame is cantilevered off to the side of the mast.

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of a portion of an umbrella of the disclosed embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an assembled side view of the umbrella of FIG. 4

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the rib, support, and flexible strip of the disclosed umbrella.

FIG. 7 shows the umbrella components of FIG. 6 with the canopy added.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the flexible strip that attaches the canopy to a rib.

FIG. 9 is a view of the underside of the canopy, showing the outer end of the flexible strip inserted into a retention pocket on the underside of the canopy.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating how the flexible rib bends to permit the outer portion of the canopy to lift up in response to a strong breeze. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, an umbrella is disclosed that employs an apparatus and method for movably attaching a canopy to an underlying support frame. In the event of strong winds, the canopy can lift up off its support frame to let the air pass underneath, rather than turning the canopy into a large sail and toppling the umbrella over.

The disclosed apparatus and method for attaching the canopy to the underlying support framework can be applied to any outdoor umbrella, including a standard “market” umbrella 10, where the umbrella mast 12 is in the center of the umbrella canopy 14 with its lower end coupled to a stand 16 (FIG. 1); a market umbrella 20 that fits within openings in a table 22 to maintain the mast 24 in an upright orientation (FIG. 2); and an offset umbrella 30, in which a cantilevered arm 32 supports the canopy 34 and canopy support frame 36 away from the mast 38 so that the canopy and canopy frame are offset to the side of the umbrella mast (FIG. 3). In this latter example the canopy frame is mounted for opening and closing to an upright support post 40 at the end of a cantilevered arm 32.

As used herein, the “mast” is the upright pole whose lower end rests on a support surface and which supports the canopy and canopy support frame. The “upstanding support member” is a pole or section of a pole to which the umbrella frame is mounted for opening and closing. In the case of a market umbrella 10, 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, where the umbrella frame is mounted to an upper portion of the mast 12, 24, the upper end of the mast is the upstanding support member. However, in the cantilevered umbrella 30 of the type shown in FIG. 3, the canopy is cantilevered away from the mast 38, and the umbrella frame is slidably mounted to a shorter, separate post 40 that serves as the vertical support member. Thus, when the term “mast” is used, it refers to the upright pole that supports the umbrella canopy, and when the term “upstanding support member” is used, it refers to the component to which the umbrella frame is mounted for opening and closing. The mast and the upstanding support member may be the same component or may be different components, depending upon the type of umbrella.

Referring to FIG. 4, an umbrella 50 has a mast 52 comprising an upstanding support member 54 with a hub 56 at its upper end. A plurality of ribs 58 have their inner or upper ends 60 pivotably mounted to the hub 56 and extend radially outward. The ribs 58 are supported by a corresponding number of supports 62, each support 62 being pivotably mounted to an intermediate point 64 of a rib 58 at one end and pivotably mounted to a collar 66 at the other. The collar 66 is slidably mounted to the upstanding support member 54. As the sliding collar 66 moves up the upstanding support member 54, the supports 62 pivot outwardly, raising the ribs 58. Together, the hub 56, ribs 58, supports 62, and collar 66 comprise a canopy support frame 70 that supports a fabric canopy 72.

Various means known to those skilled in the art can be used to raise and lower the canopy frame 70 and to hold the sliding collar 66 at a raised location to hold the umbrella canopy 72 in its open position. These include, without limitation, rope and pulley arrangements that move the sliding collar when a crank is turned, and spring-loaded pin arrangements by which the sliding collar can be manually lifted and, when the collar passes the spring-loaded pin, the pin pops outward to provide a support for the collar. The manner in which the canopy 72 is raised or lowered is incidental and does not impact the manner in which the canopy is mounted to the support frame 70.

Referring further to FIGS. 4-7, a flexible, resilient strip 76 of fiberglass or other suitable material has an upper end 78 attached to the upper surface 80 of each rib 58. In the disclosed embodiment the upper end 78 of the strip 76 is fastened to the rib 58 at a location just above the pivoting joint 80 between the support 62 and the rib 58. The flexible strip 76 has a hole 82 formed at its upper end 78. A bolt 84 is inserted through the hole 82 and into a cooperating threaded hole 86 in the rib to anchor the upper end 78 of the strip 76 to the rib 58. The strip 76 is positioned to lie approximately parallel to the underlying rib 58.

To relieve stress on the strip 76 where it is fastened to the rib 58 by the bolt 84, an optional channel-shaped strip-retaining bracket 90 fits over the flexible strip 76 near its upper end 78. The bracket 90 is in the general shape of in inverted “U” with an upper wall 92 and sidewalls 94 depending from opposite sides of the upper wall. The sidewalls 94 of the bracket 90 fit down over the sides of the associated rib 58 until the upper channel wall 92 is imposed against the strip 76. The strip retaining bracket 90 is fastened to the rib 58 by bolts, rivets, or other suitable fastening means 95 that are inserted through the depending bracket side walls 94 and into the side walls of the rib 58.

The flexible, resilient strip 76 extends from its attachment point at the bolt 84 downward along the upper surface of the rib 58 to a lower end 96. Preferably the flexible strip 76 terminates at the end of the rib 58 or a few inches beyond.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the lower surface or underside 98 of the canopy 72 showing a retaining pocket 100. The canopy 72 has a number of separate, radially-extending pockets 100 formed on its lower surface 98 adjacent the canopy's periphery 102. The lower end of a flexible strip 76 fits into each pocket 100. To facilitate inserting the lower end 96 of the strip 76 into the pocket 100, the pocket can optionally be provided with an opening 104. In one embodiment the opening 104 is selectably closable by a zipper 106. With the pocket opening 104 unzipped, the lower end 96 of the flexible strip 76 is inserted into the pocket 100, and the pocket is zipped back up to attach the flexible strip to the outer portion of the canopy 72.

Other means for closing the pocket opening 104 can be used, including ties, hook and loop fabric fasteners (such as that sold under the Velcro® trademark), snap fasteners, magnets, or other fastening arrangements known to those skilled in the art.

Other means for attaching the lower end 96 of the strip 76 to the canopy 72 can be used in place of a pocket 100. For example, pairs of straps can be affixed to the underside of the canopy 72. The straps can slidably affix the flexible strips to the underside of the canopy 72 by tying the ends of the straps together around the strip 76, supplying the pairs of straps with cooperating hook and loop fabric fasteners, snap fasteners, magnets, or other fastening arrangements known to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 10 shows the operation of the umbrella 50. When a strong breeze gets underneath the canopy 72 as indicated by the arrows 110, the wind lifts the periphery or outer edge 102 of the canopy as indicated by the arrow 112 to permit the airflow to pass. Once the breeze has subsided, the resilient flexible strip 76 returns to its normal straight configuration, pulling the canopy 72 back down against the upper edge of the rib 76.

For convenience of illustration FIGS. 4-10 depict only one complete rib 76. However, it will be understood that the umbrella frame 70 has additional ribs 58 extending radially outward from the hub 56, and that each rib 58 can be provided with a flexible strip 72.

The disclosed arrangement can be employed on a variety of different umbrella shapes, including, but not limited to, a square canopy, a hexagonal canopy, or an octagonal canopy. Further, while the disclosed embodiment 50 includes a flexible strip 76 on each rib 58, it is possible to have strips on fewer than all of the ribs.

A number of factors go into establishing the flexibility of the strip 76, including the materials used and the width and thickness of the strip. The extent to which the strip 72 can flex further depends upon the length of the strip. As previously stated, the length of the strip 72 is determined by its mounting location. From wherever along the length of the rib 58 the upper end of the strip 76 is secured, the strip should be long enough to reach the outer end of the rib or perhaps extend up to a few inches beyond. In an exemplary embodiment, the strip 76 is fiberglass, 0.125 inches thick, 0.5 inches wide, and 36 inches in length.

In addition to fiberglass, the flexible strip 76 can also be made of plastic or other flexible material that yields a similar spring constant. In adapting other materials that may inherently be more or less flexible than the disclosed fiberglass material, the stiffness of the strip 76 can be controlled by modifying its thickness, width, and cross-sectional configuration.

While the strip 76 extends along the upper edge of its associated rib 58, it does not necessarily contact the upper surface of the rib 58 for its entire length. For example, in the case of a canopy having pockets 100 into which the outer or lower ends of the strips 76 are received, the lower portion of the strip may be separated from the rib 58 by a portion of the pockets on the underside of the canopy. Similarly, after prolonged use in windy conditions, it is possible that the flexible strip 76 may begin to lose some of its resiliency and not always return to a completely straight configuration.

As used herein, the terms “strip,” “flexible strip,” “resilient strip,” “flexible, resilient strip,” and the like all refer to the same element 76. The strip must be flexible to allow it to bend when wind gets underneath the canopy, and it must also be resilient so that it will return to its original configuration after the wind subsides.

Also, while the disclosed embodiment 50 relates to a market umbrella in which the mast is centered with respect to the canopy, the canopy support frame with flexible, resilient strips can also be used in an offset umbrella such as that shown in FIG. 3. In the case of the offset umbrella, the upstanding support member is separate and laterally offset from the mast.

Finally, it will be understood that the preferred embodiment has been disclosed by way of example, and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An umbrella comprising: an upstanding support member; a plurality of ribs, each of the ribs having an upper surface, a first end pivotably mounted at the upper end of the support member, and a second free outer end, each of the ribs extending radially outward from the support member; a canopy supported by the upper surfaces of the ribs, the canopy having an outer periphery; a plurality of flexible strips, each of the plurality of strips having an inner end affixed to the upper surface of a rib and an outer end located proximate to the outer end of the rib, the flexible strip normally extending along the upper surface of one of the ribs; and means for attaching the outer end of each flexible strip to the lower surface of the canopy at a location proximate to the outer periphery of the canopy.
 2. The umbrella of claim 1, further comprising: a mast having a lower end for resting on a support surface and an upper end; and wherein the upstanding support member comprises the upper end of the mast.
 3. The umbrella of claim 1, further comprising: a mast having a lower end for resting on a support surface and an upper end; and a cantilevered arm having a first end attached to the mast adjacent the upper end of the mast and a second end; wherein the upstanding support member is attached to the second end of the cantilevered arm.
 4. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the outer end of each flexible strip to the lower surface of the canopy comprises a plurality of pockets adjacent the outer periphery of the canopy, the outer end of each flexible strip being received within a corresponding pocket.
 5. The umbrella of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has an opening extending generally radially with respect to the canopy to facilitate introduction of the outer end of the flexible strip into the pocket, and further comprising: means for closing the pocket opening to retain the outer end of the corresponding strip within the pocket.
 6. The umbrella of claim 5, wherein the means for closing the pocket opening comprises a zipper.
 7. The umbrella of claim 5, wherein the means for closing the pocket opening comprises a snap closure comprising male and female components, the male element of the snap closure being affixed to the pocket on one side of the opening, and the female element of the snap closure being affixed to the pocket on the other side of the opening
 8. The umbrella of claim 5, wherein the means for closing the pocket opening comprises hook and loop fabric fasteners.
 9. The umbrella of claim 4, wherein the means for attaching the outer end of each flexible strip to the lower surface of the canopy comprises a plurality of pairs of straps.
 10. The umbrella of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of straps are tied together around the corresponding strap.
 11. The umbrella of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of straps comprises hook and loop fabric fasteners.
 12. The umbrella of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of straps comprises a snap closure comprising male and female portions, the male portion of the snap closure being affixed to one of each of the plurality of straps, and the female portion of the snap closure being affixed to the other of each of the plurality of pairs of straps. 